Running at Full Tilt
by bluebunny28
Summary: Loosely based on the movie: Predator. The Avengers (including Thor) find themselves transported to an alien planet, that not even their resident Asgardian has heard of. They run into Loki while there, but there is no time for evil schemes or saving the day. Not when they are all being hunted, by something they can't even see.
1. Chapter 1

Running at Full Tilt: Prologue

Welcome to my new Avengers fic! This is the promised Predator movie inspired story. :) I've been working on it for a while, so I would have a bit of it done, before I started posting. And here it is! This is only a little taste.

I try to update as regularly as I can, typically on Saturdays, however, I am in college, so I can't promise that I will update every week like I used to. Sorry, but education comes first :/

Anyway, here we go. This is, as usual, Loki centric, though I tried to change him up a bit from my normal portrayal. A bit angrier and darker, than I usually write him as.

Keep in mind it is LOOSELY based on the movie Predator, so I'm not labeling it a crossover. I have not actually seen the movie, but I liked the concept, and thought, hmmm...wonder what would happen if you threw the Avengers on a planet to be hunted? This is the result.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel.

Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.

**Sudden Shift**

The Avengers had been called out to another army of evil robots planning to take over the world when it happened. They were getting down to the last few, and all of them were exhausted.

"Ok, even evil villains have to sleep some time, right? This is our eighth call this week. You'd think they would get..I don't know, tired or bored." They heard Hulk roar a couple blocks over, and Tony took it as agreement. "I know, right?!" He shook his head and shot a beam straight through his last robot's chest plate. "Alright. I'm done. That's it for me." Steve, beside him, grunted in agreement.

"That sounds great, but-" Tony waved his arms about.

"No! No, no, no. Fury can take care of that this time. I am not dealing with any more robot parts." He looks over and picks up a severed robot arm with torn wires sticking out of the socket. "Except this. I'm keeping this, no matter what he says." Tony tucked it under his arm, and prepared to fly off in the direction of the tower, when Clint crackled over the ear buds.

"Uh, guys? You might want to come take a look at this." Tony huffed and puffed, but did follow his teammates to where Clint was waiting for them. They were soon all gathered around a very large…circle of burnt runes…on the edge of New York City. Hulk sniffed the air and growled. Natasha turned to Thor.

"Do you recognize this?" The Asgardian prince was staring at the markings intently, but shook his head.

"These are not unlike the markings left behind by the Bifrost, but they…are not that. I have never seen anything like this before." Tony sighed.

"Ok. Jarvis scan the mystery markings on the ground."

"_Already done, Sir. I cannot find any match for the symbols, though they do appear similar to ancient texts describing ancient civilizations and demons from the sky."_ They all turned to Thor, eyebrows raised in question.

"I do _not_ know of these markings. These symbols are unlike any language of the nine realms. Though.." Thor's brow furrowed, and the others waited for him to share his thoughts. Tony groaned when he recognized the look on the Thunderer's face.

"Do _not_ tell me this has to do with that crazy brother of yours, Thor, I swear-" Thor shrugged helplessly.

"They might seem slightly familiar to me, because of my brother. He was always reading books in strange tongues that I did not recognize. Perhaps, he would know." That sparked a whole argument about involving the psycho Norse god who had tried to take over the world six months ago, and it had not been the first. Whenever something possibly magical or strange came up, Thor suggested talking to Loki, which set Clint off, which put Natasha and Bruce on edge (for different reasons of course). Then Tony would make some stupid comment, that Steve would lay into him about, so _they_ would start going at it. That would go on for about thirty minutes, before one of them stormed off, usually Thor before he slammed something, and Steve would call a time out. Beyond that, they got along for the most part.

A major problem of these fights, was that during them, the Avengers tended to not pay attention to anything else. So, there, beside the mystery burnt, possibly ancient alien demon, crop circle the Avengers fought amongst themselves, and didn't notice the way the runes were starting to glow and smoke. In fact, they didn't notice, until the Hulk started to roar at the now burning ground, but by then…it was too late.

* * *

><p>He was running as fast as he could with a shattered ankle and one eye. The sun had set a few hours ago, and he had gotten so caught up in his search for food, that he hadn't found proper shelter yet. The planet he was on was lethal around every corner, but somehow still managed to be worse at night.<p>

The dark had crept up on him, and now he was paying the price for his inattentiveness. However, lately he had been slipping into strange moods. He could not tell you how long he had been on the planet. He had lost track after the first four weeks. After that, he hadn't seen much point in keeping a calendar. Constantly being hunted changed you after a while, to the point where anything besides eating, minimal sleep, and living through a day were cast aside as non-essential. He had been hunted the moment he was transported to- wherever in the damned nine realms he was. At that point, though, none of it mattered. He didn't care. He had survived for so long now, but he was so tired. Each new daybreak brought with it the constant, heart wrenching pain of hope, that 'maybe today' he'll escape, he'll win the cat and mouse game he had been thrust into. And by the time the third sun made it into the sky, he had lost all hope once more. So, when he wasn't drowning in despair and dark, dark, thoughts of perhaps…not caring about even the 'essentials', he was angry, bitter. He used that as fuel to push through day by day, though as they had that afternoon, his dark moods sometimes made him lose valuable time, locking him in a deep, deep hole in his head.

After the first few weeks, when he had watched his company on the planet slowly dwindle until it was only him and _it_, things had been pretty static. There was just him and _it,_ doing their daily routine of hunting and pursuing. However, he could feel something on the air. A tinge of magic or some alien energy (everything about this place sung foreign and extinct) salted the ever so slight breeze. He did not know what _it_ was doing, but he knew that hint was for him. He had tasted the same stench when he had first arrived, and each time a singular prey had arrived following him. _It_ was letting him know that he had a small break from the constant running….and that he wasn't going to be alone for long. Well, he knew where the lurking predator liked to have its prey delivered. He could stake it out, set a trap for the fresh meat. He would be taking out another potential threat and saving the poor creature from his own damned fate. As the Midgardians would say, 'Two birds, one stone.'

He carefully picked his way over the forest floor, and set about making a rope trap he had learned centuries ago. Once that was completed, he found the tree with the best vantage point (his host was courteous enough to allow him a good view of his incoming playmates) and shimmied up into the high branches. He settled cautiously on the wide part of a branch, and kept tight hold of his hand carved spear. A drop of sweat slid across his forehead and into his good eye. No matter. He was asleep in under ten seconds.

This time, the morning was not going to bring a stab of hope as he would be slitting the throat of whatever poor soul was summoned here. With the sun would come only another threat, and another part of his soul would abandon him. He was slowly becoming the monster everyone said he was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> So, just a little taste. Scope out the interest. I love reviews! ;) So, please comment!


	2. Chapter 2

Running at Full Tilt: Chapter 1

**Midterms week down, now for a bit of a break. Hopefully I will be able to get some writing done these couple of days home...Or I'll just sleep...a lot...**

**I try to update as regularly as I can, typically on Saturdays, however, I am in college, so I can't promise that I will update every week like I used to. Sorry, but education comes first :/**

**Anyway, here we go. This is, as usual, Loki centric, though I tried to change him up a bit from my normal portrayal. A bit angrier and darker, than I usually write him as.**

**Keep in mind it is LOOSELY based on the movie Predator, so I'm not labeling it a crossover. I have not actually seen the movie, but I liked the concept, and thought, hmmm...wonder what would happen if you threw the Avengers on a planet to be hunted? This is the result.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel.**

**Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.**

**Compromises For the Better?**

It burned. Whatever it was, it burned. Tony swore his suit was melting and adhering to his body. He wouldn't even know if he screamed, because the roar as they were shot somewhere was so deafening. The only thing he could maybe describe it as, would be being set on fire and shot out of a cannon, into a volcano. He couldn't see anything as they went, didn't know if the rest of the team was with them. Finally, before he just puked his brains out into his helmet, the Flight from Hell came to an abrupt halt.

Tony felt his feet hit solid ground and if the suit's knees hadn't locked he would have fell flat on his face. It took him a few moments to get his sight and hearing back. His throat hurt, which confirmed his thoughts that he had been screaming. Deciding not to repeat that, Tony just stuck with hyperventilating.

"What, the Hell, was that!?" Tony ripped off his helmet, and looked for the rest of the Avengers. Steve, Natasha and Clint were picking themselves off of the ground, while Thor was kneeling by Bruce, who had changed back on the ride over. He was passed out cold on the ground, but was slowly coming to as Thor shook him.

"Is..Is everyone alright?" Everyone, sans Bruce, answered in the affirmative, though Tony wasn't sure he could move. Steve scooped his shield up off the ground and only then did Tony try to test his mobility. One foot, then two, okay, he could walk. All was well, sort of. His first move was to go help Thor with Bruce. He had gotten him into a sitting position, and Tony helped get him completely off the ground. Tony looked around the…jungle?…they were in.

"I'm not seeing any fig leaves around here, Brucie." Dr. Banner grimaced and made to cover up, at least for Natasha's sake. The red-head just smirked.

"Trust me, Doctor. It's nothing I haven't seen before." Bruce shrugged. Then Thor got another 'I've got an idea' look on his face. He reached behind him and pulled his cape from his shoulders and offered it to Bruce.

"Here, Friend Banner. You may cover yourself with this." Bruce took it gratefully, using it as a sort of toga.

"Alright, is there any clue as to where we are?" A quick survey produced only one piece of vital information.

"Well, Cap, I'm going to have to say, not on Earth." Tony was pointing towards the two suns in the sky. Clint groaned.

"Seriously?" They seemed to all be taking things in stride. Compartmentalizing well. Which meant Tony was going to have nightmares for at least a month after they get home. Steve turned to Thor, as did they all, at the first mention of alien.

"Thor, any ideas as to where we are?" Thor shook his head, not even having to look around.

"We are no where in the nine realms that I recognize. If not for the two suns I would have said a jungle forest on Midgard." Bruce's forehead pinched together.

"And how we got here? Not like the Bifrost you said?" The Asgardian prince nodded this time.

"The Bifrost is a smooth, if unsettling journey through the universe. That was a harsh mockery of it. I could only compare it to dark magic." Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"So should we be looking for Loki?" That put them all on edge. None of the Avengers wanted to deal with the Norse god of mischief again. That was one bag of crazy that did not need to be reopened, as they had told Thor many times. Hawkeye rolled his eyes.

"We better not be. I am not dealing with that psycho again." He started to walk towards some dense brush before Thor could lure him into another argument. While the archer and assassin tried to figure out more about their surroundings, Tony put his helmet back on to see if Jarvis had been able to follow them out…wherever they were.

"Jarvis, you there, Buddy?" The screen still worked, which meant he had power in his suit, but there was no sarcastic, British voice to greet him. He was about to give up when a static filled his ears. "Jarvis?"

_"S-sir. You are no longer on Earth, and I..am ha-having trouble staying on line."_ Tony sighed.

"I kinda figured. It's okay, Bud. Can you get me a general idea of where in the universe we are?" Before Jarvis could stiltedly answer, a surprised cry caused Tony to whip his head around.

Clint was hanging by his ankle about two feet from the ground. Everyone quickly gathered around him. Natasha and Clint were already hacking away at the vine with their knives, but it was like trying to cut through steel cable with a pair of kindergarten scissors.

"What the Hell is this stuff?" There was a rustle in the tree across the open field like space they were in, and they all froze, waiting to see what had caused the disturbance. For a few seconds there was nothing, and then Clint cried out. Something had just run past him and sliced his arm as it went by. They didn't see anything by him, but then Clint had an arrow drawn and aimed at something behind them. What they saw nearly caused the Hulk to come back out.

There in front of them, was Loki. All he had in the way of clothing was a pair of ragged black trousers. What skin was showing was covered in grime and dried blood. If Tony remembered correctly, the last time they had seen him, his black hair had been much longer…and he had had two eyes. Now though, his hair appeared to have been crudely chopped to a much more Midgardian length and another ragged piece of black cloth was tied around his head and covered one eye. His one good eye had a feral quality lurking in its depths, something that spoke to him having perhaps lost a bit more of his mind since the last time they had crossed paths. Around a bicep, a crudely crafted sheath held a lone dagger, which Thor recognized as one of Loki's throwing knives. In his hands was a hand crafted spear, a favored weapon apparently, and the sharp tip at the end was painted in, what had to be, Clint's blood. However, the dark stains underneath of that and lower on the shaft, suggested the weapon had been used on multiple occasions.

For all the staring the Avengers were doing, Loki had barely looked at them, his eye only on the spear's tip. His ran a finger through the blood and wiped it on the back of his other hand. He must have gotten something from doing that (really creepy) staring wiping thing, because Loki's head suddenly whipped up and he was staring at them in what could only be described as shock.

"You…you are real." His voice sounded a lot rougher, less refined, and it held a great amount of surprise. Thor was the first to speak.

"Brother? What…what are you doing here?" Whatever trance Loki had been in, Thor's words knocked him back out. His face shut down completely, and he slid the knife from his arm. Everyone immediately went tense and were ready for anything. He simply raised a brow and gestured at Clint with his knife.

"I can just leave him up there if you like. You'll never get him down, and he'll be dead before nightfall." Clint snorted, which sounded a bit funny since he had been hanging upside down for a few minutes now.

"Like you wouldn't be the one to slit my throat." Loki shrugged.

"If I had wanted you dead, you would be already. You will not be my concern for dry long. I'm sure you'll _all_ be dead by tomorrow morning…if you're that lucky." They all weighed the words in their heads, and Steve came to a decision.

"Cut him down." Clint spluttered.

"Wha- Cap-" Loki ignored him as he quickly made his way over to the hanging archer. He lifted his knife,

"We've tried that already," and it slit right through the vine, Hawkeye landing on the ground with a thud.

"Not with a knife dipped in the poisonous blood of the birds around here you haven't." Loki turned to walk away, but Clint jumped up and held one of his own knives to his throat. Loki snorted and was completely relaxed.

"You would be doing me a favor, Hawkeye. But if any of _you_ want to live, I suggest you get moving. Stay in one place too long, and it will kill you." Clint's hand didn't move an inch. Loki didn't seem overly concerned though, even when he sighed, causing the blade to nick his skin a bit.

"Okay, what is _IT?_ Cause I'm sensing it's capitalized and bloodthirsty." Loki nodded.

"And it is no doubt watching all of us right now. It is the hunter. If you do not move, you will die." That caused a shiver to go around the group and everyone instinctively looked around. Steve saw how Loki seemed so unconcerned and called him on it.

"You don't seem too worried about it." The Trickster rolled his eyes at the Captain.

"I have been on this planet for a good while. I know that I can escape it. But you?" His eyes skimmed over all of them, and he scoffed. "You will all be dead by nightfall." Clint growled and pressed his knife harder into Loki's neck, enough to make Thor step forward.

"Hawkeye, I would have you release my brother." Loki and Clint both scowled at Thor, if for different reasons.

"How do we know what he's saying is true? He could just be saying that. Maybe _he_ brought us here. To kill us in some sick game of his." Loki leaned closer to the archer, ignoring the blood slowly sliding down over his clavicle.

"Believe what you will, Barton," he hissed. "I could care less about your little lives. When I first showed up on this Norn-cursed planet, I was accompanied by eight other beings, all from different realms. I watched as that _thing_ picked them off, one by one. Twice before, it brought new prey, and both times they were dead by the next morning. I have survived this entire time, and at this point, I don't care if I live or die, as long as I get to destroy that thing. If not," he shrugged. "Then I get the satisfaction of knowing that you wouldn't stand a chance, and will be ripped apart," he leaned in, "slowly, intimately…"

Loki pulled back with a chuckle and shoved Clint's knife away. The archer gave him no fight, though he never stopped glaring at him. The Trickster could tell his words had affected the others as well. Steve had crossed his arms over his chest, shield resting on his foot, ready at a moment's notice.

"You're saying this thing is a hunter?" Loki started to walk off.

"That is what I said. Now, I suggest you leave this area soon, or be killed immediately." He didn't get far before Tony, suicidal tendencies Tony, grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Unhand me you-" Tony was prepared for the backlash, but was surprised when Loki stopped mid-sentence and just stared at the arm he still had a hold of. "Where did you get that, Stark?" Loki reached out for it, but Tony, wisely, pulled it back, and kept the Trickster at bay.

"Why?" Loki snarled and seemed to battle within himself whether it was worth it.

"That arm is made of a metal not found on this planet." Natasha cocked her brow.

"So?" Loki bit his lip, possibly to keep back a rude comment.

"_So_, this planet has elements from almost every single realm. That metal, is the only kind I have not found." Tony looked at the robot arm with renewed interest, popping the face plate up to get a closer look at it.

"You think this thing kept this element off its planet for a reason." Loki didn't smile, but he didn't snarl either. He just nodded. "This is important to you." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Tony saw the near desperate look in the Trickster's eye and came up with a crazy, possibly suicidal yet possibly brilliant idea. "Okay. What if we work together on this?" His suggestion was met with an immediate protest by Clint and Loki, silence by Natasha, Steve and Bruce, and loud acceptance from Thor, go figure.

"No, listen. You've been on this planet for a while now, right?" At Loki's reluctant nod, he continued. "You know how to survive here, and I don't know about these guys, but I want to make it back home, preferably alive. So, we work together. We help you defeat this guy, and you help us not kill ourselves via poisonous bird blood. Win-win." Loki continued to scowl at him, but the challenges against Tony's idea had dropped down to pissed off mutterings. Just to move things along a bit faster, "No deal, no arm. I will destroy this thing, before you even lay a hand on it." Loki raised a brow at him.

"And what is to stop me from slitting your throats when you eventually fall asleep and taking it?" Tony smirked at him.

"You think whatever it is that is hunting us is going to kill us first. You really think it's going to just leave this thing lying around for you when it's done? No. It'll kill us, and take this, leaving you with no way to kill it. So," Tony also raised a brow at Loki, holding his ground until-

"Very well. But only on one condition." Steve stepped forward then, trying to regain some resemblance of leadership.

"Oh? And what's that?" Loki pointed at Thor.

"He stays as far away from me as possible." They all caught the downtrodden look on the Thunderer's face, and Tony nodded.

"Alright, but he holds the arm."

* * *

><p><strong>It's time to get plotty! Sorry...my brain is mush...<strong>

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Running at Full Tilt: Chapter 2

**Here we go. Geez, by the time I'm done with work and get to writing this, my brain is just like, "...Nope." [shut down]. -_- Very frustrating.**

**I try to update as regularly as I can, typically on Saturdays, however, I am in college, so I can't promise that I will update every week like I used to. Sorry, but education comes first :/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel.**

**Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.**

**Decidedly Not**

Loki's first rule of survival: keep moving. Don't stay in one place too long, like they already had. It surprised him that the hunter had not struck once when they talked in the open field. Perhaps it was more eager to make a real hunt rather than simply taking them out at the soonest convenience. Either way, Loki was going to be taking as much advantage of that as he could at the same time as keeping an even closer eye out. If this thing was looking forward to these particular prey…it would get creative.

He moved quickly, only occasionally glancing back to make sure the others were keeping pace. As soon as he found a secluded area, however, he made them stop.

"It would do you good to remove the armor, Stark. It is slowing you down, which in turn is slowing the rest of us down." Tony rolled his eyes, but did remove the armor, making it change into more of a backpack than a briefcase. As soon as he was finished, Loki continued on, obviously trying to get somewhere.

"Hey. You want to tell us where we are going?" Loki didn't answer, just kept walking. He knew where he was going, and he didn't want to say it out loud. The spot he was looking for was right up ahead, and getting to it meant surviving one more night. His eyes were locked ahead of him, but then he froze. A faint humming was coming from his left, and he quickly held up a hand to signal them to stop.

"What-"

"Silence," Loki hissed. He listened as the humming got closer, closer, closer. His fist tightened around his spear, and he was as tense as a bow string. The others had heard it too and were gripping tight to their weapons. Loki caught movement out of the corner of his good eye, and held perfectly still. The buzzing creature didn't even stop; it simply bypassed them and went on its way. Loki let out the breath he had been holding and relaxed minutely.

"We need to move. Now." He took off running, not bothering to see if the others were following him, towards his sanctuary. However, they were loud enough to alert anything within a few miles that they were following him, so Loki didn't feel all too concerned.

A few yards in front of him, he spotted his marker. On the trunk of a tree he had carved a small line, indicating the bounds of his haven. Without stopping, he ran right past it and- disappeared.

The others, though very much disconcerted, did not stop, but also ran, until they were all hidden from sight. It was like walking through a waterfall, as they passed through a wall of magic and felt it wash over them. They were not expecting what they found.

Before them, stood some sort of fort. It was very rough, but definitely could provide shelter and warmth. If they could compare it to anything, it would be similar to the huts of Native American tribes on the East Coast: sticks and brush and branches of much variety being woven together and reinforced.

"Okay, what _was_ that?" Loki emerged from the hut with a leaf that seemed to hold different berries.

"This is my sanctuary. _It_ created this planet with all sorts of obstacles and unnatural changes, tests if you will. Seeing as he had brought a powerful sorcerer to play with, he made this planet so that my magic only works in certain pockets, and even then, I do not have full access to my powers. I stumbled across this one a few weeks into my stay." He knelt on the ground and motioned for them to come over, glaring at Thor when the man tried to scoot closer to him. Once he had their attention he held up a small blue berry.

"This, is safe to eat. It will give you enough strength to get you through the night. This," Loki showed them a fruit that looked like a green rock, "is good for healing open wounds. It will prevent infection if you grind it up and rub it into the wound." Loki set each down into their respective piles, and then he carefully handled a beautiful, round purple fruit half the size of the blue berry.

"You do _not_. Eat. This. It will kill you in a matter of moments. The juice however, is only hallucinogenic. It is not pleasant, but it is not fatal. Don't let the juice touch any open wounds." Tony is a scientist. Tony has to ask.

"What will that do?" Loki looked at the berry, then dropped it back into its own pile.

"It will rot you from the inside out."

"Broth-" Loki glares fiercely at Thor, causing the man to cut off his words. "Loki," he tries again, slowly. No raging reaction, so he continues. "Why do you keep a pile of poisonous fruit here?" Loki scoffed and stood.

"In case I need to kill someone, Idiot." Tony was watching Loki close enough to recognize that Loki included himself in the 'someone' category. If Loki really had been in this place for months, then the inventor could see how he might keep suicide as an alternative option. The Trickster returned his berry stash to his shelter and reemerged with his spear and a sling across his body. He pointed at Natasha and Steve.

"You two will come with me to gather food. The rest of you will stay here. Do _not_ leave the clearing." Clint, unsurprisingly, protested.

"I'm coming with you. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Loki opened his mouth to bite back, but Natasha beat him to it.

"The fewer people that go, the less chance their is that we'll attract attention. You know that, Clint. Don't turn this into something it's not." Loki smirked at the archer, and then motioned for the two to follow him. Natasha pulled her gun out, and Steve fastened his shield to his arm rather than back, neither of them wanting to be caught unprepared in the alien world.

Clint kept walking the perimeter, and it was driving Tony insane. Thor was to his left pouting about not being able to get near his baby bro without his head being bitten off, and Bruce was off in a corner meditating. Though, Tony appreciated that, because the last thing they needed is Hulk killing the only one here that knows how to survive.

So, this left the inventor to his thoughts, which were running a mile a minute. They were, for better or worse, working with the enemy. But…well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend…right? He had no doubt that Loki could and would turn on them at any point, but right now he could see no benefit for the god if he did…besides not having to deal with them. No. Loki was smart. He would use them to his advantage and would probably only kill them after they were off this planet.

This made up in his mind, Tony tried to talk with Jarvis again. He pressed a few buttons on his makeshift backpack and a flickering, holographic screen came to life.

"Hey, J, you there, Buddy?"

"_Y-yes, Sir. To ans-answer your last ques-tion, you are not in-in any known part of the univerrrse." _Tony sighed and hung his head.

"Well, I kind of figured. Can you do a preliminary scan of this area? Send the data back to the Tower." Jarvis didn't waste energy replying, just went straight to work scanning everything he could. Tony left his AI in peace, and was once again left with his thoughts. His eyes wandered and landed on Loki's little hut. He really shouldn't…but he will, because he's Tony Stark.

That being said, Tony got up and walked over to the woven shelter. It looked like one stiff breeze would blow it over, but Tony put a little weight on the 'walls' and found them surprisingly sturdy. There was…barely anything in the shelter. The ground was mostly grass and compacted dirt, but besides the leaf of berries Loki had shown them earlier and a rough bowl or two, nothing suggested Loki actually stayed there. Maybe it was all he needed, didn't bother with other things, only requiring a roof over his head. But this was Loki, and none of this said 'Loki, God of Mischief and Silver Tongue' to Tony.

He left the rugged shelter and looked up into the sky. The trees blocked most of what he could see, but he was able to catch a glimpse of some sort of light source, a sun, similar in size to their own. Tony could only think that was strangely normal when something else caught his eye. There was a patch of…off-green? Whatever it was, it just barely didn't match the color of the surrounding foliage. Tony stood directly under the trees now, and the others looked at him curiously as he stared up into the leaves.

Finally, he saw it, and Tony smirked when he did. In the tree tops was a hammock, almost invisible amongst the green. Figures. Loki only had the shelter as a distraction, so if this _thing _came knocking or somehow managed to break through his barriers, the Trickster would be safely hidden above him instead of in the hut.

"What? Something funny?" Tony shook his head at the archer and turned away from the trees. For now, Loki's secret was safe with him.

"Naw. Just thinking funny thoughts." One glance at his suit told him Jarvis was still scanning, so Tony went and sat beside Bruce.

"How you holding up, Big Guy?" Dr. Banner plucked at the draping of Thor's cape that fell across his knee and shrugged.

"Holding it in. Maybe if we found this thing, Hulk could just smash it." Tony hmmm'd a bit before answering.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a lot more complicated than that. I think Loki would have killed it by now don't you?" Bruce considered this, when another thought struck him.

"How has he made it this far though? He's been here for a few months and according to him, there were others with him, and after them more. How is he still alive?" Thinking back to the little hiding spot in the trees and the bits and pieces he had gathered from Thor's talk of Asgard, Tony had a pretty good idea.

"He's learned how to survive and he's smart. If the other aliens or whatever that were brought here with him are anything like how Thor describes his people on Asgard, I bet they just stomped through the woods trying to bash this things head in without really thinking. If this thing is as good of a hunter as Loki says it is, then the other guys would have gotten picked off like fish in a barrel." Instinctively, Bruce and Tony looked around at the trees as a shiver ran up their spines.

"But, yeah. Maybe turning green would not be the best idea right now." Just then, Tony's suit started to beep, signaling that Jarvis was done scanning. Bruce followed him over, and sat beside him as he started to fiddle with his suit.

"Jarvis? Did it work?" The holographic screen was still up, so Tony took that as a plus, but it was a few moments before Jarvis answered.

"_Yes, S-Sir. Scans compleeeet-te. Data has been sent to-to your labs on Earth. Losing pow-er, Sirrr." _Tony really didn't want to, but he shut Jarvis down with one last order to tell Pepper and Fury what had happened to them.

Something snapped out in the woods and all of them shot to their feet. Thor gripped his hammer tightly, and Clint was already aiming with his arrow. The air was thick with anticipation as they all strained to hear anything else.

After a few moments of nothing, they eased, but only slightly. Tony glanced over at Bruce and saw him breathing deeply, trying to calm down.

"Hey, Buddy. Everything's fine. It was probably just a bunny or-" Suddenly, Natasha and Loki come bursting through the trees and into the clearing, dragging Steve between them.

They got him in front of the hut and laid him out on the ground. Before he was even back on his feet, Clint had Loki pinned beneath him on the ground, a knife to his throat.

"What did you do to him?!" Loki growled at the archer and easily flipped them over, so Clint was now caught beneath the god.

"I did nothing but ensure this fool did not get himself killed." Loki pushed off of Hawkeye, leaving him on the ground. He slid the satchel over his head and pulled out a few cardinal sized creatures and some of the 'safe to eat' berries. Bruce walked over and knelt down next to the fallen captain that Loki seemed intent on ignoring.

"What did happen then?" Loki set about preparing the food, but answered without looking at the doctor.

"He touched one of the plants, and the sap soaked into his skin. When the toxins took affect, he nearly wandered into an electrical barrier in his haze. We had to drag him back here, but the commotion attracted the attention of the creatures we saw earlier. That was why we were running." Only then did Loki glance over his shoulder at the team gathered around their fallen comrade.

"There is nothing you can do for him, but let it run its course. Should he survive the night, he will be fine." They all had a hard time keeping their tempers in check with the nonchalant way Loki was treating the situation, but kept their mouths shut.

Loki was their only way off this planet, whether they liked it or not. Right now, it was decidedly not.

* * *

><p><strong>Wait...Loki...so are you good or bad? Answer me!<strong>

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Running at Full Tilt: Chapter 3

**Once again, sorry for how long this took, just...my brain keeps crawling away when I actually want to use it for something fun... -_-**

**Hopefully this chapter will make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel.**

**Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.**

**Lucky Shot?**

Loki prepared the food for all of them, ensuring that at least Thor was paying attention, so he would not be the one to do so every time they needed to eat. Loki still did not speak or acknowledge Thor, but the Thunderer took it in stride and settled himself with being happy he at least got to see his brother.

They ate while making sure there was some left for Steve when he woke up. And he would wake up. Night had fallen, and it only grew a little cooler in the darkness. Loki started a fire for them to gather around, and seated himself away from the rest of them. They all stared into the flame in silence, unsure what words they could possibly ascribe to their situation. It was after a long while of this staring that they heard Steve shifting and groaning. The Avengers all rushed to his side, while Loki stood, an eyebrow raised. The effect wasn't the same with one eye covered.

After a lot of coaxing and groaning, Steve opened his eyes and looked up at his team.

"How are you feeling, Steve?" Bruce felt his forehead, and wasn't surprised at the slight fever he felt there. The Captain blinked a few more times before opening his mouth to answer.

"Tired and sore." That encouraged them. Steve was coherent and aware and awake. Bruce and Thor brought him over to sit by the fire and gave him the food saved for him. After a few swallows of water, Steve was already looking better. He looked over to Loki, who had been ignoring them the entire time.

"What was that stuff?" Loki looked at him, appearing bored.

"A poisonous plant. When you touched it the sap soaked into your skin. And now we know that we do not touch _anything_." Loki spoke as if to a small child, but Steve just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I got it. Thanks though." Loki raised a brow at the soldier and crossed his arms over his chest.

"For what?" Steve ate some more.

"You could have left me there. Natasha is strong, but she wouldn't have been able to carry me back by herself." Loki only pursed his lips and nodded once. A tense silence followed, and they stayed that way, until they decided it was time to get some sleep.

"I'll take first watch," Clint said. Loki stood and shook his head.

"There is no need for a watch. I will not guide a bunch of sleep deprived numbskulls through a hostile jungle. The wards are sufficient and will protect us while we _all_ sleep." Clint scowled at Loki's retreating back. The Trickster disappeared into his hut and was gone. Tony just shrugged.

"Well, good night then everybody." He curled onto his side and used his arms as a pillow. Soon, everyone else followed, and they were all asleep. Well, not all of them.

Tony was not known for sleeping a lot; this meant he was fully awake enough to see Loki creep out of his shelter and climb up to his leafy hideaway. Tony just smirked, and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Sleep was not easy. Despite the fact that they had all slept on the ground at one point or another and knew how to make due, being in the midst of a hostile environment made it a bit more difficult. The nightmares stayed away as though even they were afraid of where their hosts were now.<p>

When they woke they each felt rested enough to continue their journey. The Midgardians were all standing and ready to go, though there was a problem. Loki was missing.

"Where is my brother?" Clint already had an arrow notched in his bow.

"Yeah, I think we're all wondering the same thing, Big Guy." Something growled off in the trees, and they instinctually closed ranks, waiting to see what it was. Tony was next to Bruce and kept glancing over to see how his skin tone was doing. The tension rose as they heard the creature walking towards their camp. Their heads followed the noises as it growled and prowled in a circle, all the way around the outside of the wards. The only glimpse they were able to get was the occasional flick of a pointed tail. It stopped directly across from Thor's part of the circle, howled like a dying cat, then just seemed to walk away.

The team held their positions, however, in case there was another threat. Of course, this meant that when they finally began to relax, something came through the bushes.

Clint's arrow flew across the clearing, and Loki simply leaned to the side and raised a brow at the archer.

"I thought we were in some sort of truce." Clint snorted.

"Yeah, well I thought you were something trying to kill us. Oh wait…" Loki rolled his eyes, while Clint got the disappointed glare from Steve.

"Brother, where did you go? You were not here when we woke up." The Trickster held up a full sling sack.

"Someone had to get provisions. We will all be leaving the wards today." Tony couldn't help but feel that part of Loki's little excursion was also to keep the others from knowing his actual resting place.

"Anywhere in particular?" Loki nodded at the captain.

"There is a cliff a day's journey in that direction." He pointed to the trees, which meant nothing to the Avengers, but they all nodded anyway. "If we make it there before nightfall, we should be safe." He handed out a small parcel of food to each of them. "This is all you will have until we reach the cave. Make it last."

"So, is there any plan beyond going to a cave, or are we just doing this for giggles?" Loki clenched his jaw, and pushed down the urge to slit the archer's throat.

"If you make it to the cave, I will tell you." Tony rolled his eyes.

"That's encouraging." Loki growled and spun around.

"If you want to be told that you will live to a thousand years and will tell great grandchildren of you grand adventures on a foreign planet, then go to that idiot over there!" Loki gestured wildly to Thor. "If you want to actually survive, you will do all that I say without complaint. Is. That. Clear?" The inventor had to bite his own tongue to keep a snarky comment back, but he managed it. Loki actually seemed on the verge of putting his spear into Tony's gut. Clint and Natasha didn't seem too ruffled, though it was obvious they weren't expecting such authority in the villain's voice. Steve looked like he was having bootcamp flashbacks, while Bruce was breathing slowly.

Then there was Thor, grinning broadly, robot arm held under his arm.

"It has been a long time since I have heard you use such command, Brother." Loki scowled, but ground his teeth and took a deep breath to calm himself. It seemed even he knew that it would be a bad idea to just start killing them.

"That is because I did my best to avoid working with idiots, _Thor_. And I am NOT your brother." The smile fell off of the Thunderer's face so fast it must have hurt. Loki turned away from Thor after that, still scowling, but Tony would swear he heard a little something else behind the anger and hate. Something like a bitterness or regret. One glance at Natasha showed that he wasn't the only one who had heard it. Loki reached into his satchel sling and ripped out a small branch devoid of leaves.

"This is what the Captain touched. The leaves to be more precise which are about the size of my palm and have blue veins running through them. Touching it will cause death in only a few minutes for you mere mortals. But rest assured it will not be pleasant." All of the Avengers' eyes drifted to Steve who swallowed, now realizing how close to death he was just from touching a little plant. Bruce stepped forward to examine the plant more closely, and Tony had to hold in a laugh as he caught Bruce's smirk when Loki tensed at his approach.

"So, with Steve having the super serum, it stopped the poison from killing him. What would it do to you or Thor then?" Loki did not exactly seem enthusiastic to divulge that information, however he also knew the doctor would not back up until he answered.

"In the case of your Captain, he was very near death's door, and this _serum_ somehow managed to stave it off, and it ran it's course. It would not kill Thor or myself, but would cause…violent hallucinations, like living nightmares." Bruce nodded satisfactorily without commenting and stepped back, much to Loki's semi-obvious relief. To cover for his slip, Loki whirled on Thor.

"So do not touch it, you idiot. We can not afford to have you crying out and trying to smash everything in sight with that infernal hammer of yours. I don't care how fascinating something may look. Do. Not. Touch. It." Thor nodded solemnly, but his lips twitched up as soon as Loki had turned his back.

Finally, Loki deemed that it was time to head out. He stopped them once more at the barrier and looked them each in the eye.

"Once we step through here, this will no longer be a safe place. You can not come running back and think you are protected. Everything on this planet is hostile. Do not trust your eyes. Do not speak unless it is necessary, and do everything I say. Then, and only then, you might make it to the cave alive." He waited until he had physical confirmation from each one of them that they understood. "Alright. And Thor. If you lose that metal arm, our truce is finished." That got Thor a lot of heavy looks, but he bore them well and cradled the arm like a life line.

Tony had no doubt that Thor believed the arm to be the only reason Loki spoke to him at all….Which was probably true.

Loki turned to the invisible barrier that only he could see, and raised his hand. With a few foreign words and a slashing movement, he nodded and motioned them to follow him.

Loki would sprint a few yards, and then drop into a crouch and stop. The first few times, Tony and Thor, being in the back, bumped into each other. Each time it invited creepily identical glares from Loki and their two assassins. They continued this pattern for an hour or so, but the tension was mounting the longer they went without meeting a foe. The jungle seemed too quiet. They could all sense it. What scared Tony (yes, he was freaking terrified) most, though, was how obviously Loki was unnerved. If this was unusual to him…

Suddenly a loud buzzing filled the air, and the hairs raised on the back of Tony's neck. He looked around but couldn't see anything. Creature, alien weather- nothing.

"Run!" They were all in a straight line, so they could only go as fast as the person in front of them. However, this also meant that none of them could see what was ahead of them. Loki, Clint, Natasha and Steve just passed a tree, when beams of electricity shot out of nowhere and separated them all. Bruce stopped them all just in time, before the three of them ran straight into the beams. They whipped their heads around looking for whoever set them up.

"The beams are triggered by a trip wire of sorts. It isn't here, but It will be soon." Loki was looking above the beams for something, and finally seemed to find it. He turned and ran off into the trees a ways until they couldn't see him anymore.

"Where is he going!?" Even Natasha glared at Clint, because really, now was not the time. Eventually, they heard rustling in the trees above the beams and saw Loki crawling out onto a branch. His spear was strapped to his back, and he clutched a thick vine in his hands. Tony wasn't going to question it, if it would help them. The Trickster made it to the end of the branch and tied the vine to it before dropping it over the other side of the electrical fence.

"It should hold. Hurry. We nothing good is ever left inside the fences." That got them moving. Bruce, with some effort was able to haul himself up, and Tony followed. His training with Steve was paying off, not that he would ever admit that. Finally it was just Thor, however, there was a bit of a dilemma. It wasn't safe for the Thunderer to simply fly over the fence via hammer, but he still had a hold of the robotic arm. The Avengers only seemed to realize this when Tony and Bruce were safely over. Loki reached down holding his arm out.

"Hand it to me, Thor. Then climb up." Thor actually hesitated. Clint seemed to agree wholeheartedly with this decision.

"Wait a minute. How do we know that you won't just pop away with it and leave us all here? Just toss it over, Thor." Loki scowled and rolled his eye.

"I have told you before, my magic does not work well enough on this planet for me to simply 'pop away'. I am not willing to risk the oaf throwing the arm too far and having it lost to the elements. If you are so upset by this, why don't you climb up here?" Clint scowled back.

"Fine." Clint made towards the tree, when a shot flew through the air. They were in a battle stance in the next second. What scared Tony the most was seeing the fear flashing across Loki's face.

"Thor, hurry up!" Thor glanced behind him as another shot rang out, before making his decision. They all heard something crashing through the trees and coming towards them, but they couldn't see it.

Thor threw the arm to Loki, who caught it easily, before starting to climb up the vine. The next shot was aimed straight at the vine, and they all cried out as it grazed it just enough to make Thor sway dangerously. Tony caught the moment of indecision on Loki's face before the Trickster scowled and called to him.

"Man of Iron!" Next thing he knew, Tony was catching an arm and Loki was reaching a hand out towards his brother.

"Hurry up, you fool!" Shots were still flying, though they weren't hitting any of them. It was like whatever it was was deliberately missing them. Until-

"Ah!" They looked up to see Thor finally hauling himself up on the tree, and Loki clutching his arm, blood seeping between his fingers. The Thunderer wrapped an arm around Loki's waist and hauled them both from the tree.

They landed with a loud thud, and everyone started running.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me tell you, I hate running. This story makes me tired just from writing about all of this exercise. <strong>

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Running at Full Tilt: Chapter 4

**So...I have successfully survived finals! I got home last week and passed out for a few days, giving my brain time to grow back. This is what I've gotten done since I've finally gotten the time to write. Please enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel.**

**Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.**

**Compromised**

Loki stumbled along. His grip tightened on his arm, trying to staunch the bleeding. The wound went clear through his arm. He did not need to worry about bleeding out, more so about getting an infection. However, they needed to move. So, he gritted his teeth, pushed away from his bro-No. Loki shook his head, and put on a burst of speed get to the front of the group.

Bullets were chasing them, though the shooter was still hidden from sight. Loki didn't have time to concern himself with this, though, as the safest thing to do was to run. He barely looked back to ensure the humans were following him, and just kept going.

Eventually, the bullets stopped, but they didn't stop, unsure what lurked behind them. Loki's vision was blurring on him, but he had to push on. After they reached a particularly dense section of jungle, he held up a hand for them to stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Clint hissed, though he was just as out of breath as the rest of them. Loki scowled at the archer.

"You can…keep running. I dare you…to find your way." Loki's chest was heaving, and he wiped away the sweat from his upper lip. He caught Thor's look of concern and scowled at him to. No need for anyone to feel left out. The Thunderer himself was barely breathing heavily, and the same should have been said of Loki. However, that was obviously not the case, yet Loki chose to ignore that small detail for now.

"How much further?" Steve still held his shield, ready for another surprise attack.

"It is another hour in that direction." Loki waved his hand to a patch of trees identical to every other one.

"And you're certain it's safe?" Loki did not have the energy or care for their tedious questions.

"Yes! I am certain. Now, shut your mouths and move." Fueled by his rage, he stood and moved forward. However, instead of finding steady ground, Loki's feet felt like they fell straight through the earth and he went to a knee.

"Loki!" Thor rushed to his brother's side and threw an arm around his shoulders. "You are badly wounded, Brother." Loki tried to shake Thor's arm off, but found himself unable to.

"I am…fine, Thor." However, his body felt the need to betray him. Instead of standing as it should have, Loki's body felt like it was floating and attached itself to Thor's side.

"What's wrong with him?" That was very much something he would like to know as well. Loki rolled his head around to say so to the Man of Iron, but the world turned and he was thwarted.

Then something touched his arm.

"Aaaargh!" He struggled against whatever dark creature was holding him captive and causing him such pain. If Loki could just get a grip of hair or spine then he would have some leverage over the monster.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is wrong with him? Shut him up!" While there were many times Tony wanted to smack Clint upside the head, right then he agreed. After Loki fell to his knees, it was like he had lost it, and he wouldn't stop screaming. The inventor didn't think Thor picking him up was a good idea, and he was being proven right. However, this wasn't the kind of reaction he would have expected from the collected villain. Instead of simply arguing or pushing Thor away, it looked like Loki was trying to fight him off, as if he were under attack. Thor looked beseechingly at Bruce, even as his brother pounded against his chest.<p>

"Dr. Banner, can you do anything for him?" Bruce shook his head.

"Not unless we've got a medical kit anywhere, and I knew what was making him react that way. The best idea is to get him somewhere safe and…keep an eye on him." Steve nodded and motioned forward.

"Alright, Loki gave us a general direction and time limit. We'll continue that way and hopefully we'll find the cave." The Avengers could only follow the plan, as it was all they had. Loki had finally stopped screaming and seemed to be going limp in Thor's arms. They all breathed a sigh of relief and started walking.

The forest was denser here than it had been before, which was good and bad. While it could help them hide from predators, it also meant those predators could hide from them.

Steve took the lead with Natasha. Thor was behind them, cradling Loki in his arms, with Bruce beside him, checking over his brother. Tony followed with the arm in his possession as well as Loki's spear, and Clint took up the rear, bow at the ready.

They were all extremely tense; any time they heard a noise, they froze then picked up the pace. One of the suns was getting close to setting, while the other stayed high in the sky. It was rather distracting for a scientist like Tony, and he allowed it to occupy part of his brain function as they hiked.

Occasionally, Loki would stir in Thor's arms. Tony swore he heard a whimper or two from the mischief god, though he would never say that to guy's face. The few glimpses Tony got of the man's face solidified the inventor's theory that whatever was going on in the guy's head wasn't pleasant.

Despite the dangers they had encountered earlier, the jungle seemed to have calmed and they hadn't run into anything since that last time. It was like whatever was shooting at them had gotten what it wanted and left them alone. The thought made the hairs on the back of Tony's neck stand. They continued being as stealthy as they could, which wasn't very stealthy at all, and somehow survived reaching the cave.

Well, it was a cave; they couldn't be certain whether it was the right one. When Steve stopped the group, Thor kept right on walking, past them and to the mouth of the cave.

"Thor, what are you doing?" Thor paused and turned his head to look back over his shoulder.

"Friends, this is the cave Loki spoke of. His magic surrounds it." And with that, he kept walking until he disappeared into the dark hole in the rocky outcropping. Tony looked at the others and just shrugged before following the Thunderer. The others weren't far behind, and soon they were all inside of a large, dark cave. It was obvious, once there, that this _was_ the cave Loki had told them about, as there was some food and piles of wood for fire gathered off to the side. A small pile of cloth scraps and large leaves could be seen, and Tony correctly assumed it was for sleeping on.

The slight chill of the cave was much more comfortable than the thick heat of the jungle, and the humans reveled in the reprieve. Bruce spotted the comfortable pile and pointed Thor towards it.

"Put him down over there, Thor. Tony, can you power up some light?" Thor gently set his brother on the lump of cloth and foliage and knelt by his head. Steve walked over to watch how things proceeded and so did Natasha. Clint scowled and gripped his bow tightly.

"I'm gonna stay over here. Keep watch." No one listened as he stalked off to the front of the cave, grabbing the robotic arm to keep it far from Loki. Unconscious or not, he was still a threat. Tony was in the process of trying to boot his suit up, when Natasha pulled a miniature flashlight from her belt and shone it on Loki's pale form. Bruce directed her to point it towards the god's arm, and the doctor began his examination.

There really wasn't much he could do without any medical supplies. Then Bruce remembered something.

"Hey, didn't Loki tell us about a small fruit that can help heal wounds? Does anyone remember what it looked like?" Natasha handed the flashlight to Tony and stood.

"I remember. Steve can come with me." The Captain nodded, and they left the cave past a still scowling Hawkeye.

Bruce went back to his work and examined the wound in Loki's arm. It looked as though the bullet went straight through, so he didn't have to worry about trying to dig it out. There was blood obscuring his view a bit, but something more alarming caught his attention.

"Thor, Loki's adopted right?" Thor, who had settled his brother's head in his lap and had been stroking his hair nodded.

"Yes, Dr. Banner. Loki was born a Frost Giant." Bruce met his eyes.

"Do they normally bleed black?" Thor's blue eyes shot to the wound and his lips pinched together.

"No. They do not." Bruce sighed and took the flashlight from Tony's hands, putting it right where he wanted it.

"Then there was probably something coating the bullet. Either intentionally, or it shot through something before it hit him. I'm guessing it was probably intentional, given how accurate the other shots were. I'm betting whatever it was wasn't trying to kill him, just wound him." Thor's frown deepened and Tony scowled.

"This is all just some sick game of Cat and Mouse." As he spoke, he watched Bruce tear a piece of Thor's cape from his makeshift toga and reach out to wipe at Loki's wound.

"I can't know if this black stuff is poisonous or perhaps just causes some unpleasant side effects." They were all startled when Tony's suit suddenly came to life.

"_Sir, can I assu-mme you are wellll?" _Tony patted the machine like a dog and nodded.

"Yeah, Jarvis we're good. Is there anything you can tell us about back home?"

_"The Dirrrector of SHIELD is nnot pleased, and Misss Potts is worrrrriiiiiieeeedd."_ The AI's voice was winding down, so Stark quickly shut off his suit to preserve as much power as he could.

"Dr. Banner, my brother…" Thor's voice brought their attention back to their injured guide. Loki was sweating profusely and was starting to move.

"Loki? Loki, can you hear me? It's Dr. Banner. You were shot, and we've taken you to the cave you told us about." The Trickster didn't answer, only moaned and started to move more. Incoherent mumbles began falling from his lips and Tony and Bruce shared a worried look as Loki's hands started to twitch and clench into fists.

Thor only had eyes for his brother. Clint hadn't moved from his spot at the mouth of the cave, but he kept glancing over, his face pinched with concern…for his teammates.

"Nnnn…no…No! No!" Loki thrashed about violently. Tony almost got a fist right to the jaw, but pulled back just in time. Thor wrapped his arms around his brother, and pinned Loki's flying fists to his brother's chest.

"Brother! Brother, you are safe!" Loki, however, didn't seem to hear him, and fought him with all he had. In his weakened state, it wasn't much, but he looked very desperate to escape.

"No! No! Ahhhhh!" Tony went pale at Loki's scream. It was one he recognized from his time in Afghanistan. He slid back from the doctor and the brothers and watched on as Loki fought the demons in his head. He watched as both Thor and Bruce tried to calm the Trickster down, but nothing they said was working. Tony didn't think it could get worse…but then it did.

"Thor! Thor, please!" Loki's fighting had near stopped, and it was a good thing too, because Thor completely froze at the words falling from his brother's lips.

"Thooorr….I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Please!" Loki's eyes, which had been closed before, were now wide open and staring at something only he could see. Tears leaked out of the corners and fell into his hair, leaving streaks in the grime on his pale skin. "Please…please…"

Tony stared. Bruce shuffled anxiously. Clint glared at the ground in front of him. And Thor…Thor held his brother tight to his chest, no heed for his injury, and wept into Loki's dark hair.

"Oh, brother. Loki, I'm sorry I didn't save you." His voice seemed to cut through some of Loki's haze, and green eyes dragged over the Thunderer's face. Loki's voice, usually so confident and biting was now small and broken. _Lost._

"You didn't come. Why didn't you come?" Thor locked eyes with his brother, but before he could respond, Loki's eyes rolled back in his head, and he lost consciousness once more.

By the time Steve and Natasha returned with the berries and a few new scrapes, those left in the cave were all silent, replaying what they had witnessed over and over again in their heads. They came to the same conclusion, but it left them with more questions than answers.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, so this chapter is a lot of dialogue. : Hopefully you still liked it! **

**Please review!**


End file.
